A small village in northern Italy, 8am. Six year-old Marta (Nicole Perrone) is walking home, having slept at her aunt's house. A van pulls up: Mario (Franco Ravera), a mentally challenged local young man, convinces her to follow him to his farm. When her mother doesn’t see her come back, she calls for help. Inspector Sanzio (Toni Servillo) is an experienced policeman who recently moved to this remote area. A younger colleague Siboldi (Fausto Maria Scialappa), born in the valleys, becomes his guide to get to know the family ties and relationships of the small community. The two of them, accompanied by Alfredo (Nello Mascia), Sanzio’s loyal colleague since his time in homicide, will have to stay in town because another crime is about to be committed; a crime probably connected to one of the families in the village, born from a sentimental or emotional tie. Everyone in town could be the potential killer.